15 Greatest Countries in the World

Ever wondered which are the greatest countries in the world? Well, that is a question many experts from different universities are trying to answer. Lucky for you, we gathered information from several sources, so you will find your answer if you continue to our list.

“Make America great again!” I doubt that there is someone who hasn’t heard this slogan. It is commonly used in the American politics, and it is definitely getting even more popular these days. It was first used in the 1980s when America was struggling to fight the stagflation. Nevertheless, we couldn’t help but wonder, what the term “great country” even means? How can you define a great country, or make a list of the greatest countries in the world?

We started our research with Quora, as there were great debates on this topic. People were discussing different ideas, sharing various opinions and that helped us a lot. Many thought that finance is the key to a great country, others stick to the idea of a pollution-free country. Terrorism, racism, politics, etc., are just some of the factors which are affecting the greatness of one country. However, Quora was a good source for our starting point, but we couldn’t stick to one source. This lead to further research to find the answer to our question. We visited Telegraph website, to find out what they had to offer. We weren’t satisfied with the information they provided, so we continued to Time, to check what they have written on this topic. What about rankings from the Independent? Many professors and experts put much effort into creating the reports and lists of greatest countries. They even surveyed business leaders as well as common people.

Surprisingly, none of those websites could help us. Don’t get me wrong, their analyzes were great, the countries they wrote about were excellent, but they were based on surveys. So, what is the problem with that? Well, the surveys can be subjective, and you cannot define greatness based on opinions only. Seriously, how can you define a great country only on surveys? That could help, but we needed facts and numbers to create our list. If you are willing to migrate to a country, you probably won’t rely only on opinions of common people. Luckily, we are able to help you with this, just take a look at the 10 Best Countries to Migrate with Family. Or, if you are looking for the best countries in the world to visit, or the best countries in the world to live and work, we also have the solution for you.

For creating our list, we chose three categories – GDP, military, and the population of a country. All of these categories are important for a country and that’s why we used them to create a ranking of the best countries to live in the world. Fortunately, we managed to find the freshest data for all three categories so you can be sure that we listed only the best countries in the world in 2017.

Let’s start with the GDP (Gross Domestic Product), as one of the best ways of measuring the economy of one country. To make it more simple, GDP is the total value of all products and services produced by people and companies in a country for one year. We won’t go into calculations; we will just compare countries’ GDP. We took the information from the World Bank‘s report, where the numbers are showing millions of dollars worth goods and services for each country.

Next, we will go with the military of the country. How this define the greatness of a country? The purpose of the military units is to protect the citizens and the country. It is why safety should be one of the biggest priorities for every country. Thanks to Global Fire Power, we managed to find the best military units in the world in 2017. It is important to know that the rankings aren’t made just on the number of weapons, but the weapon diversification was included too.

As if that is not enough, we included one more category – the population. The population is clearly one of the greatest factors which define the country. One country wouldn’t exist without its population, so we used the report from Worldometers, to find the figures for the year 2017.

After combining and overlapping all three categories, we ranked the countries according to the results. We are quite sure that the list “best country in the world 2016” would be the same since those categories cannot be changed so quickly. Not to mention that all of these countries are top information technology countries in the world as witnessed in the 16 Most Technologically Advanced Countries in the World in 2017, we wrote a while ago. I am sure you will be fascinated with the results we got, so let’s get down to business. Keep reading, and you will find what are the greatest countries in the world.

15. Poland

Poland, the country that is known for the pierogi and potatoes, has GDP of $469,509 million, and their military unit got a Power Index of 0.3831. The country has a population of 38.1 million people.

14. Thailand

You can get the best massage in Thailand, but why is this country great apart from that? The country number 14 on our list of greatest countries in the world, has a GDP of $406,840 million, their military unit has a Power Index of 0.3892, and it has a population of 69.03 million people.

13. Mexico

Many famous food dishes and drinks originate from this country, and some of them are avocados, pumpkins, tequila, etc. However, that is not the main reason why we put Mexico on our list. Mexico’s GDP is $1,045,998 million, their military ranks very good according to the Power Index of 0.6601 and their population counts 129.1 million people.

12. Turkey

What is so special about this country? Turkey, which ranks 12th on our list of greatest countries in the world, spans on two continents — Europe and Asia. Besides its great food dishes, it offers great scenic views, as well. It is a great country to visit and live since 80.7 million people think so. The Turkish military unit got a Power Index of 0.2491, and their GDP is $857,749 million.

11. Italy

Architecture is probably the first thing that comes to your mind when talking about Italy. Of course, after pizza. Italy has impressive GDP of $1,849,970 million, Power Index for their military unit of 0.2694, and a population of 59.3 million citizens. It is one of the greatest countries in the world.

10. Indonesia

Indonesia is known for a huge number of active volcanoes, and definitely coffee. This country has a GDP of $932,259 million, and the Power Index for their military unit is 0.3347. Indonesia has a population of 263.9 million people.

9. France

Fabulous food, great wine, many museums — France is a country many people are dreaming of visiting. It will take ages to mention everything that makes this country great, so we will just stick to several facts. France as one of the greatest countries has a GDP of $2,465,454 million, and their military got a Power Index of 0.1914. This country has a population of 64.9 million people.

8. The United Kingdom

Pubs, beer, and sport-lovers are what describes the U.K. most. However, we can’t forget about the historical monuments and educational institutions. The U.K. which ranks 8th on our list of greatest countries in the world, is a perfect mix of culture, sport, and education, and it has a GDP of $2,618,886 million. The Power Index of its military is 0.2131. The U.K. has a current population of 66.1 million.

7. Brazil

Why is Brazil so unique? Football, carnivals and gorgeous women are just some of the reasons. So, you shouldn’t hesitate to visit this country. If you have a chance, you should definitively try the Brazilian coffee and see the Christ Redeemer Statue. Let’s get back to our facts, with GDP of $1,796,187 million, Power Index of 0.3654 and population of 209.2 million; Brazil is one of the best countries to live.

6. Germany

What comes first to your mind when you think of Germany? Oktoberfest, beer, and sausages or classical music? Or maybe their passion for football? BMW, Audi, Mercedes, etc., — all of these great brands are coming from Germany and are the reason for the country’s great economy. Germany has a GDP of $3,466,757 million, and their military unit got a pretty good Power Index of 0.2609. Their current population is about 82.1 million people.

5. Russia

You may first think of vodka when someone tells Russia, but this country is famous for many other things such as great culture, architecture, and of course, cuisine. Have you heard about ‘syrniki’ — it’s a dish you definitely have to try. Don’t forget about Tolstoy and Dostoevsky too. With GDP of $1,283,162 million, the second best military unit with a Power Index of 0.0929 and a population of 143.9 million, we can say that Russia is truly a great country.

4. Japan

We are continuing our list of greatest countries in the world with Japan, which is a worldwide leader in transportation and technology development. Samurai swords, temples and of course sushi, are all part of this country’s tradition, even though you may experience troubles holding the chopsticks. With the GDP of $4,939,384 million, the powerful military with a Power Index of 0.2137 and a population of 127.4 million people, this country definitely deserves to be this high on our list.

3. India

Each state in India has its own recipes, and that’s why the Indian cuisine is known all across the world. Their festivals, culture, and spirituality will fascinate you. Remember to visit the Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the world, once you go there. So, we can easily say that this country is the best country in the world to visit. The GDP of India is $2,263,523 million, and the strength of their military is shown with the Power Index of 0.1593. It has a huge population of 1.339 billion people.

2. China

Robotics, technology, cuisine, culture, history — we can talk for days about China’s culture and tradition. If you are traveling east, you need to visit this country at least once in your life. Don’t forget to go on a tour to the Great Wall of China. China has the GDP of $11,199,145 million and the strong military with Power Index of 0.00945. The huge population of 1.409 billion people is one more reason for China to end up second on our list of greatest countries in the world.

1. The United States of America

The U.S.A is a dream come true for many people out there, and a number of inventions and innovations such as the Internet as well as foods and baseball are probably the reasons for U.S.A. to be the best country in the world to live. There are so many places to visit in this country, and so many restaurants to go. Moreover, the GDP of $18,569,100 million, and the best military with Power Index of 0.0857 as well as the population of 324.4 million are the reasons why this country takes the first position on our list of the greatest countries in the world.